The first day of the San Francisco 49ers‘ Mandatory Minicamp was held on June 6th. It was a rainy practice for the team, but there was a lot to discuss. Pretty much every player was in attendance, including defensive end Nick Bosa. More notes on the quarterback and kicker positions emerged as well. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel also had a lot to say about himself. While some notes overlap with past topics, there was also a lot for San Francisco fans to be excited about. Here are the major takeaways from day one of the 49ers’ mandatory minicamp.
49ers’ Mandatory Minicamp Day 1
Some of the topics are repetitive, such as the quarterback and kicker position, but they are still important. Here is a brief look at how the competition is going in both aspects and any notes on these players from the first day of the 49ers’ mandatory minicamp.
Former Carolina Panthers kicker Zane Gonzalez – Danny Karnik/AP Photo
The Kickers
Matt Maiocco once again provided the kickers’ accuracy numbers on his Twitter. It was definitely a rough day for Zane Gonzalez and Jake Moody. It could be because of the weather, but it is still something to monitor. Gonzalez made kicks from 33, 38, and 43 yards out. He made the 38-yarder twice. Moody made kicks from 33 and 43 yards out. He made the 43-yarder three times but did miss wide left from 38 yards.
The Quarterbacks
Brock Purdy was present for the 49ers’ mandatory minicamp. He was seen on the side running and stretching, but that was it. There is not too much to discuss in regard to Purdy. Head coach Kyle Shanahan did state the team is trying to take his return slowly. According to David Lombardi on Twitter, Purdy throws three times per week, and the team is making sure they are careful with the young quarterback.
Sam Darnold got the first-team reps on day one, but Kyle Shanahan indicated after practice that Trey Lance would get it next. The two have continuously been rotating who is getting first-team reps. According to Jack Hammer, Lance ended the day with nine completions from 14 attempts and three touchdowns. Darnold had eight completions out of 12 attempts and two touchdowns. Finally, Brandon Allen completed four out of six passes. The touchdowns by the quarterbacks were in the red zone.
Former Jets QB Sam Darnold (14) – Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports
The team also did 11 on 11s, where Lance did really well. According to Matt Barrows on Twitter, Darnold completed four out of seven passes, Lance completed six out of nine passes, and Allen completed all four passes. While going against your own team does not always say much, the numbers from the 49ers’ mandatory minicamp do give higher hopes for the season. San Francisco has struggled in the red zone, and this is as of now good news for the season.
Recent indications have shown that Brock Purdy may be ready to start week one. Some have wondered if this means that Lance will be traded. Following practice, Shanahan was asked if he had spoken to Lance or his agent about this. Shanahan simply answered, “No.” Tight end George Kittle also spoke to the media following practice and spoke about Lance. Kittle stated that he sees a big difference in Lance compared to last season. On Twitter, Jake Hutchinson reported that Kittle said Lance is significantly better than how he looked last year.
An Update on Nick Bosa
The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, Nick Bosa, was present for the 49ers’ mandatory minicamp. He has been in the weight room and not practicing, but there is nothing to worry about there. Bosa was asked how he felt about getting a contract extension and stated that he was confident it would get done, even indicating it would be done before training camp. This is a similar timetable as Deebo Samuel from last off-season, but there is much less drama with Bosa. 49ers fans can be at ease that while not everything in the NFL is 100%, San Francisco is making sure Bosa stays on this team for a long time.
Bosa also had high praise for newly added defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. He even went as far as comparing Hargrave to Aaron Donald. While that will need to be proven on the field, getting high praise from Bosa is a great thing. If the 49ers’ defensive line plays to their potential, it will be difficult for any opposing offense to score.
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) – AP Photo/Scot Tucker
Deebo’s Statements In 49ers’ Mandatory Minicamp
Following practice, Deebo Samuel spoke to the media. What he said is important heading into the 2023 season. As most know, the negotiations between the 49ers and the wide receiver were filled with drama in the offseason last year. Deebo ended up reflecting on that to the media. He explained that, looking back, the situation was a distraction for him and described 2022 as awful. The receiver also explained that he and Shanahan watched his film, and he felt he was sluggish, out of shape, and disappointed in what he saw.
While it is too late to fix what happened in 2022, this could push him further in 2023. Looking back can cause better results. It is something for him to take and learn from. If Samuel can play how he did in 2021, the offense will be hard to stop. Especially with Brandon Aiyuk performing at a high level and McCaffrey now being on the team. Samuel also had high praise for Aiyuk, who has done exceedingly well throughout OTAs and the 49ers’ mandatory minicamp.
Extra 49ers’ Mandatory Minicamp Notes
The tight ends have not been discussed too often throughout the off-season programs. While Kittle was speaking to the media, he stated how fast rookie Cam Latu is. During OTAs, he eclipsed 19 miles per hour. This is not as fast as Kittle is, but the second fastest of the tight ends. Though it is not as talked about, the tight ends are important to watch throughout the 49ers’ mandatory minicamp and on. The rookies may get the chance to push themselves up on the depth chart.
As for the offensive line, Trent Williams was in attendance but did not participate in team drills. In his place, Jaylon Moore took 1st team reps at left tackle and 2nd team reps at right tackler, according to Sterling Bennett on Twitter. Newly signed Jon Feliciano took snaps at center.
A lot happened on just the first day of the 49ers’ mandatory minicamp. The quarterbacks will still be a discussion, but it is evident that the team is ready for the season.
